Following President Trump’s second term inauguration, frustration among Democrats is rising as activists demand decisive action against his administration. Protests and town halls are re-emerging as discontent with congressional Democrats grows, with many feeling they’re ineffective in providing a counter to Trump’s agenda. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro criticized his party for failing to be a constitutional check on Trump, while polling indicates a majority of Democrats believe their leaders are doing too little. As tensions rise, some Democrats advocate for patient strategies while others urge a more combative stance. Governors, balancing caution and resistance, navigate complex relationships with the Trump administration.
One month after President Trump was inaugurated for a second term, the despair and denial among Democrats are shifting to an increasingly frustrated demand from party activists and voters directed at their leadership.
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Across the nation, anti-Trump protests and impassioned town halls are reigniting. Polls show Democratic voters expressing dissatisfaction with congressional Democrats. During interviews this week with voters, activists, and elected officials, many highlighted that Democrats are not adequately challenging Mr. Trump or presenting a cohesive counter-narrative.
In an interview, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, remarked that neither party is “effectively serving as a check on the executive branch,” delivering a notable critique of his own party.
“They are not addressing the genuine concerns people have,” he stated when asked about congressional Democrats’ actions during the initial weeks of the new Trump administration.
Governor Shapiro, who has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding for Pennsylvania projects, added, “They’re neglecting their fundamental constitutional duty — to be a check.”
The realization of Republican dominance in Congress, coupled with Mr. Trump’s readiness to obliterate established norms and seek revenge against his critics, has intensified Democrats’ feelings of shock, outrage, and growing exasperation toward their own leaders.
Mr. Trump’s nominees have faced no rejections from the Republican-controlled Senate, which also approved a G.O.P. budget plan intended to boost spending on border security and military initiatives.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated that more Democratic voters disapproved of the performance of congressional Democrats than approved. Furthermore, a new CNN poll revealed that 73 percent of Democrats surveyed believed congressional Democrats were insufficiently opposing Mr. Trump.
“We need powerful voices of moral outrage, and I have yet to see that,” expressed Theresa Reid, the leader of the Democratic Party in liberal Washtenaw County, Michigan. “Any prominent Democrat, whether elected or not, would be a significant asset.”
Ms. Reid continued: “It’s a risk. But for heaven’s sake, don’t capitulate prematurely. Don’t concede before the fight starts.”
Ezra Levin, a leader of the liberal group Indivisible, which has coordinated anti-Trump protests, mentioned that he frequently hears the question, “‘Why aren’t Democrats pushing back with everything they’ve got?’”
For Jessica Ruiz, a 36-year-old Democrat from Philadelphia, her disillusionment with the party runs so deep that it overshadowed her happiness over the Eagles’ Super Bowl win.
“We come together to celebrate a football team in the streets,” she said. “But we can’t unite to raise our voices toward our city and state officials in the same spirit.”
Some Democrats advocate for patience, hoping that public sentiment toward Mr. Trump will deteriorate. For the time being, they grapple with being in the congressional minority and the potential repercussions for those who challenge Mr. Trump or his influential supporter Elon Musk.
“I honestly don’t know what they can do,” stated Karen Taylor, a 56-year-old Democrat from Mesa, Arizona. “My only hope is that people will recognize the situation and turn out to vote next time.”
Democratic lawmakers are also split; some are eager to confront Mr. Trump and Republicans at every juncture, while others advocate for a more restrained strategy.
Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, a Democrat representing a district that Trump won, cautioned against overreacting to “whatever is trending on social media.”
“Our duty is to craft a national consensus on how we will tackle the very real issues at hand,” she expressed, “and not alienate the voters who will shape the balance of power and legislative authority moving forward.”
A significant test of the Democratic approach toward Republicans is currently unfolding around a spending dispute. Meanwhile, as Democrats strive to keep pace with Mr. Trump’s swift actions, they have organized news conferences; engaged on social media; attempted to compel Republicans to take damaging votes; and, in some instances, hosted protests, all in an effort to portray Mr. Trump as advancing the interests of billionaires at the cost of the working class.
Representative Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat and head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, perceives an opportunity to broaden the party’s appeal to a diverse array of voters concerned about empowering the ultra-wealthy, like Mr. Musk.
“It’s not just progressive voters who are upset,” he asserted. However, he added, “for us to motivate people to step up and fight, to invest their time before and after work in standing up to Trump, they also need to witness their elected officials uniting and addressing this as the emergency it truly is.”
In an interview, Ken Martin, the newly appointed chairman of the Democratic National Committee, expressed alignment with the base’s more combative stance. He even reclaimed the term “resist,” which has lost traction among weary Democrats.
“We must stand firm and resist with every fiber of our being,” he said. “If we are not doing that vigorously, how on earth can people trust that, if they re-elect us, we will fight for them?”
Outside of Washington, governors — as the chief executives of their states — often have more freedom to push back, and some are doing so more assertively.
“We don’t have kings in America, and I refuse to bend the knee,” proclaimed Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, in a speech this week. “When the fire alarm sounds, every responsible person must be ready to grab a bucket and help extinguish it before it engulfs everything.”
However, for Democratic governors, countering Mr. Trump remains complicated. Some recall their experiences during his first term, where they felt that federal assistance was contingent upon their praise.
“Governors are concerned their states may suffer, struggling to strike the right balance between condemning Trump and staying in his favor,” shared former Representative Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, a Democrat who has advocated for stronger opposition against Mr. Trump. “Inevitably, they will offend him, and consequently, he will retaliate.”
Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut suggested he is attempting to mitigate that risk for his state by engaging with Trump administration officials and Republican governors as much as possible during this week’s National Governors Association convening in Washington.
“I’m trying to keep a low profile, to avoid being a target,” he explained.
Governor Janet Mills of Maine briefly found herself in the line of fire during a White House meeting where Mr. Trump criticized her defense of transgender rights. “Enjoy your life post-governorship,” he reportedly said. “I don’t expect you’ll continue in elected politics.”
In a statement, a coalition of Democratic governors condemned Mr. Trump’s behavior, citing his “ugly personal attacks and threats” along with his promotion of “baseless conspiracy theories.”
Nonetheless, several Democratic governors plan to attend a White House dinner hosted by Mr. Trump this Saturday. Historically, such gatherings have led to confrontations with presidents from both parties.
In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, a Democrat, noted that many voters have become desensitized to Mr. Trump’s outrageous remarks.
To break through, he asserted, it’s essential to illustrate how decisions made in Washington directly affect local communities, rather than merely vowing to “fight.”
He referred specifically to the cutting of a grant for a much-admired urban farming project in Kansas City.
J. David Goodman contributed reporting from Houston.